How many times a week are we going to bed late at night and waking up early in the morning? Busy working schedule and busy family life are among the most common reasons of such behavior, but haven’t we heard a lot about the dangers of a regular lack of sleep and proper rest? Specialists at the University of Warwick Medical School are warning us that those who usually sleep less than 6 hours a night have increased risks of having such serious health problems as heart attack and stroke.

The research involved analyzing the data of about 470,000 volunteers from 8 countries of the world. The specialists found out strong connections between prolonged sleep deprivation and serious cardiovascular problems. Thus, according to the findings, published recently in the European Heart Journal, people who sleep less than 6 hours a night have 48% higher risks of dying from heart attack and 15% greater risks of dying from a stroke. Therefore, a lack of sleep is called “a ticking time bomb”, which can bring our life to an early tragic ending.

Earlier researches have shown that a regular lack of sleep is closely linked to hormonal imbalances in the body and higher risks of such diseases as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and others. Professor Francesco Cappuccio, a specialist from the University of Warwick Medical School, suggests: ‘By ensuring you have about seven hours sleep a night, you are protecting your future health, and reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses.’

At the same time, medical specialists around the world are very much concerned about increasing number of factors which keep modern people away from regular sufficient amounts of sleep. A huge number of TV channels and interesting late nigh shows, increasing number of stresses and financial problems, easy and cheap Internet access – all those things contribute to our tendency to stay awake till midnight and more, and then harvesting negative effects of sleep deprivation. Be careful about your health, my friends, make your sleep your priority and sleep not less than 7-8 hours a night.

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.